What's blooming for April?

LOL..I should say so Amy!! Wow talk about amazing.Oh I remember that momo..poor sad little guy.Bet you are glad you never listened to me!! .Well....That momo looks more than wonderful now...got me speechless here.....You sure can grow em'.....All of your plants look So Great : )

Oh my ... I should have waited to post a reply! You've uploaded more Beauties! Your S. pusilla is adorable ... I see all those little babies peeping above the soil in there! I love my pusilla and the rio das pedras ... such teensy plants, I never thought I could keep something so small alive! Wow! That Sinningia from the seeds is Beautiful ... even without the blooms opened! I can't wait for you to post a photo of that in full bloom!

And ... what can I say about that Pet. Momo?? I LOVE, LOVE those blooms! I have the one P. barbata but it has never bloomed. I'm still hoping. I have a few things that need repotting desperately! And, I'm trying to get better about feeding! I just need to be a better plant mama. LOL.

Thank you, Sally! It is one of my favorite plants and was the catalyst for getting me into Petrocosmeas. I have four now and truly NEED more! LOL

Here's a link to the picture of P. 'Momo' in its worst moments. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=3444600

Thank you, Nancy! For the compliment and most importantly for sending 'Momo' to me! ;o) I am just as shocked as you are, but the real kicker is that I still don't know what I was doing wrong with it to begin with. I don't grow them in a terrarium or anything. I'll snap some shots of the other three and post later. They're not blooming right now, but hopefully soon they will.

Here is one of my Streps, just took this pic.

Beautiful strep Sally!

Amy..Well looks like you have a real gift with the pets..Whatever or ..lol..however you are doing it keep up the good work : ) I have baby pets from the leaves we exchanged..they are soo cute...probably won't be blooming anytime soon but they are adorable even when not blooming!

Raingazer-Do you have your C. tamiana wicked or do you just water it ever once in a while? I have two and they are wicked and look like they are dying. I have them @parts AV soil, Two parts Perlite and one part vermiculite mix. Should I repot them in a heavier or lighter soil? I love them dearly and don't want to lose them. Any help will be appreciated. Lurker Lou

Yes, Amy ... I am curious also. I don't wick my Chirita Tamiana and am wondering if I should when I re-pot. I have quit using those clear plastic reservoir pots for AV's. They are too tall and I was constantly knocking plants off the stands. Gave some away and still have more our in my shed and a few more somewhere in my Florida Room if anyone needs or wants them! Can't tell you how many times I had to clean the floor in one day from plants going flying through the air and dumping water, soil and broken leaves all over! I would clean up the mess and a few minutes later there I'd go reaching for something on the shelf and knocking another plant off. I like those heavy ceramic self watering pots I get from Wal-Mart and have a few of them and have put most of my Chirita's in them and a couple of Hoyas too. I really like the Volkmann's Self Watering Pots a because they are shoter and squattier so the plant doesn't sit so high, but the drawback is they are more expensive and not clear plastic so you can't see the water line to know when to refill.

Amy, I also would love to know what plant food you use! Your plants are really healthy! I've got to be better at feeding!

Here's my Chirita tamiana blooming again ... I think I will re-pot her tomorrow, she's outgrowing the little glass.

Not a very good picture ... I need a course in camera's or photography or both! I'd really like to blame it on the camera and say maybe the batteries are low or something but it is actually the person holding the darn thing and pressing the button. Seems like it looks fine threw the viewfinder and then when I see it, oh my gosh ... it's pitiful!

Photographer I am not. Don't even know how to get the flash to turn on and off. Or to use any of the settings.

Lin,your Chirita tamiana looks happy in that glass.Wish I had better luck with Chriitas.I am really liking those self watering reservoirs you sent me.Thanks so much!! .Knock on wood..lol...but so far I haven't had any mishaps using them. They work wonderful for my large av's but I am afraid to try them for my minis for fear they might topple off....

hee hee ... and it didn't matter what size plant I had sitting on them, I was knocking all different sizes of pots off! I am kinda clutzy though! Just ask my DH! I used to walk a few feet around one piece of furniture so as not to bump into it and I would run into something else! I used to get bruises a lot from running into tables. I think years ago it used to be because I was doing a zillion things at once and always in a hurry. Now, at my current age it's because my brain is addled most of the time and I can't remember what I'm doing and just don't pay attention! Hubby has always said he needs to buy me a rubber suit, LOL.

Right now I am full of scratches, nicks and a couple of bruises from all the working in the yard lately! Seems I get attacked by a rose bush or some thorny plant on a daily basis! My manicure is so perfect in the winter months ... as soon as March arrives and I start playing in the dirt ... there go the finger nails and pretty manicure. I am so in need of a manicure, pedicure and haircut! I really need to treat myself here soon! My hair has gotten so long, it's driving me crazy. I need a dye job badly too ... my gray roots are really showing. I have the hair color, just haven't taken the time to use it. LOL.

Another WONDERFUL picture morning!
Amy your plants all look so happy and healthy!
Lots of cute little blooms too!
I just harvested 3 pods of Chirita Tamiana in hopes of trying to sow seeds again *lol*
I have a few streps blooming right now but I have posted pictures of most of them before so I'm sure you all don't want to see the same streps *lol*
Tonight is our 3rd AV meeting here in Maine, I'm VERY excited about it.
Bringing some baby Chirita Hisako's to share with the ladies. I'm not sure they will want them as the other ladies (other than Pier) mostly grow AV's but I'm hoping once they see the foliage that they will fall in love like I did. I love AV meeting night!
I am really enjoying growing AV's from leaf so far. I am finding them much easier than streps for me :)
I have lots of leaves of things down but not alot of mature things to photograph right now :( Soon though......... :)

Kim

Wow! A lot to catch up with! LOL

Lin, I really do try to catch those Sinn pusilla pods before they scatter the seeds, but most of the time I can't. If I have to have a plant that takes over the house, though, that is certainly the one I'd want it to be. :o)

I don't know when in the world the red Sinn buds will open, but I'll be sure to post a picture when they do!

I think your C. tamiana looks great, but it might grow larger, and therefore more floriferous, if it is repotted. I've found that repotting is almost never a bad thing! LOL

Lou, I don't have the C. tamiana wicked. I don't wick anything and I do not water anywhere near as frequently as I should. My C. tamianas (and everything else) go through very definite flood/drought cycles, meaning, when I water them, I totally flood them and leave a bit of water standing in whatever is under the pot, be it a tray, cup, bowl, whatever. They don't get watered again til they are totally bone dry, and usually have a wilting leaf or two. I don't do it on purpose, that's just the way it happens, but overall, it seems to work well enough for me. I'll never have plants as big and full of blooms as Gail and some of the rest of you do by watering the way I do, but I'm happy with whatever I get.

Another person saw the pic of my C. tamiana and asked if I had any secrets. I told him basically what I told you above, and he said his are never allowed to dry out, they're kept constantly moist. Since at least two of you keep them constantly moist and are having problems with them, I would suggest you take it off the wick so it has time to dry out a bit between waterings. I'm not suggesting my flood/drought cycle, as that's not ideal for them, but I do think they need a break from constant moisture.

As far as fertilizer is concerned, I use Better-Gro Orchid Bloom Booster fertilizer on everything. Gail sent me some of the Oak Hill (I think that's the name) AV fertilizer that she uses and does so well with. I compared the percentages and they're almost identical. Both provide trace minerals, which Miracle-Gro and most of the other AV fertilizers do not provide. I think those trace minerals are extremely important, and since the Orchid fert is so close to Gail's AV fert, I would suggest you try it if you can't find an AV fert with them in it. But keep in mind, just as I don't water like I should, I don't fertilize like I should either. Sometimes, they just get plain water when I'm too lazy to mix in fertilizer, or too ditzy to remember it. ;o) Benign neglect and good intentions are really what all my plants thrive on! LOL

Sally, your Strep is beautiful! :o)

Thanks, Kim! A tip on the C. tamiana seeds - they're quite sensitive to aging. The fresher they are, the better chance they'll germinate. If you're not going to sow them right away, put them in the fridge. That helps, but they're still going to lose some viability with time. I've never grown a C. tamiana from leaf, but have heard that it's the easiest, quickest way.

I hope you had a wonderful time at your AV meeting! Surely you can convince those ladies that there are other plants in this world besides AVs! LOL It's just funny to me how much trouble I have with AVs, but they're what got me into the Gessie world to begin with, and some of my favorite (and easiest) plants of all are Gessies. ;o)

Don't know if anyone else is interested or not. I just signed up for the April House Plant Swap ... we usually have one every year and it's a lot of fun! Here's the link if anyone wants to check it out: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/829401/#new

I know this is the wrong forum for this question but I know everyone here and not on the begonia forum!!! ANd I know a lot of you here grow begonias. Anyway...
Today at work I had a lady call saying she had bought a begonia last year and it has been doing great until less than a week ago. All of a sudden some of the leaves started turning white and feeling limp. I asked questions to make sure it wasn't powdery mildew or mealybugs and it wasn't either of those, at least from what she told me. Anyone ever had this happen or have any ideas? She lives out-of-town so couldn't bring the plant in for me to look at- which of course would have helped!
Thanks!
D

I wonder if it could be some sort of fungus? Shame she can't e-mail you a photo of the plant in question. I googled and found this info: http://www.herbs2000.com/flowers/bg_pest_dise.htm - scroll down for pests and diseases. Don't really see anything that might describe leaves turning white.

The leaves being white sounds like maybe there's a lack of chlorophyll but I don't know what causes it. I googled for images of plant leaves lacking chlorophyll and found this: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=images+of+plant+leaves+lacking+chlorophyll&btnG=Google+Search

Googled begonia leaves turning white and found this: http://www.spectrumbegonias.com/article-4-begonia-disease.html


I hope the lady finds out what the problem is and can correct it to save her plant.

I know I'm not much help but can you tell I like googling?LOL.

Thanks Lin! You did better than me! I googled it at work while I had her on the phone and didn't really come up with anything! I asked her if she could email a pic to me and she said she would try. I don't know. I asked every question I could come up with to identfy but got a no answer.
The part on the second link was interesting be4cause it mentioned blister areas and she did say it looked like it was blistered but she couldn't tell me what she meant by that. And the site said small spots and she said almost the whole leaf.

Friends, friends and more friends!

I am only going to tease you now with one bloom from a big box I received today from Dave'sviolets. Some are small, some are really big and some are in bloom.
Will take more pics as time goes on and they get in bloom bigger and settle into my home. I am not doming any of them although some sinningias are very small. They grow from a tuber and have been grown out in the open so I am going to try........

Here is 'Party Dude'

My african violets are blooming way too early this time (LOL). They were late in February. Guess I stopped pinching the buds off too soon. I will take pics next week when I catch up with gardening.

******edited to say I love the sinningia cardinalis 'Innocent' that Rain posted!

This message was edited Apr 2, 2008 9:39 PM

Not a gessie ^_^ but I found my Hoya krinkle 8 blooming this morning! Love the pink ... wish this one was fragrant.

Beautiful picture Lin. Love that pink.
Laura

A very handsome Party Dude too, Gail! Look forward as always to seeing your photo's!

Here's the whole plant: Hoya krinkle 8

Lin, I get more excited over my hoya blooms than anything else! I love those pink ones!! Thanks for sharing. I need to go outside tomorrow and look under the trees for maybe a surprise bloom somewhere.
Since I don't have a new picture of a hoya bloom I thought I would throw in my leaf grown chirita tamianas.

Lin, my crinkle 8 is growing so slowly. How many years did it take for yours to bloom. Maybe I need to add a couple or three more 4" pots to the basket.

*****edited to say that I am so jealous you have screen on the top of your area. I have a roof so I don't have enough sun in the spring and summer for plants to bloom on my screened in front porch. Wonder what my brother will say when I ask him if I can take my tin roof off the porch area?????? (LOL)

This message was edited Apr 2, 2008 9:48 PM

Wow, Gail ... Those C. tamiana are wonderful! I need to try sticking a leaf to see if I can get babies!

LOL, I just bought this krinkle 8 about two years ago ... it's one of the Exotic Angel plants! I think they do like being pot bound. I feed mine with VF-11 and occasionally with orchid bloom fertilizer ... don't know if that makes a difference. My Hoya lacunosa blooms often, as does the ds-70. I do have a Hoya (either krimson queen or k. princess, I can never remember which it is.) that an elderly friend gave me back in the mid 70's and it just seems to bloom once a year during the summer. I really love the fragrant hoyas! I have a couple that you gave me but they haven't bloomed yet. I lost the variegated Hoya kerri (sweetheart hoya) cutting you sent me ... it just wouldn't root and eventually died. :( The solid green kerri cutting seems to be doing fine so I'm assuming it has rooted ... will give it a little tug tomorrow to see if there's any resistance but I'm sure it must have roots cause it looks good. I bought a Polyneura (Fish Tail) - another Exotic Angel plant ... it is slowly dying, does not look good at all, I think it's on it's last "fins" (so to speak.) LOL.

The leaves on chirita tamiana are so easy to grow babies, Lin. Try it!

I know where to go get the variegated hoya kerri........so just remind me this spring to send you several cuttings so you have bettter chance of rooting them. I am watc ng this lady in Taft root the leaves from hoyas, especially the thick leaves like the variegated hoya kerri. I sent my last one to Cicada on Monday but will be getting more of them..........please remind me...........

^_^ ummm, Gail ... It is Spring, LOL. Well, with our mid 80 degree temp's and high humidity the past couple of weeks, I could swear it's summer already!

The next time you go to that wonderful nursery, let me know ahead of time and I will send you money to buy me one. I would pay you for packing and shipping too.

Gail that Party Dude is so pretty..Love that bloom!

Lin,My gosh I must say that is the neatest hoya bloom! Amazing! I am a lurker only..lol.. over on the hoya forum and I must say your pic is even more awesome than alot of what I have seen on there! Even without a smell that is one wonderful looking bloom and plant!

And don't forget me?! I bought one of the varieg Kerrii last year on ebay- a tiny little thing. A couple of weeks ago I was watering and it had keeled over! I would be happy to re-imburse you if you have time to send it to me. Also if you run into another of those pink flame colored lipstick plants.....

I took this picture tonight.

I want to know what the Pink Flame Colored Lipstick plant looks like! Gail, have you posted a photo of that one somewhere and I just missed it? That description sounds just wonderful.

Lin, I just posted a picture on the houseplant swap I think (LOL)....I haven't bought the pink flame yet but I know where to get it. Oh.......I did post his cuttings in all three colors. They were hot pink, coral and deep deep red. This year I am going to buy big baskets of them rather than the rooted cutting for 6.50 each.

Here is my first bloom of 'Blue Dragon'. I ordered the leaves last summer.

hee hee, I just posted to your other post on "whatever" thread it was! I just thought it was this one. LOL See how running around the garden with so many different plants can get us confused. ^_^

My AV Optimara 'Evergrace' has just begun blooming. There are only 3 flowers on the plant but they sure are pretty.

MullettMan.. I just Love Evergrace..its one of my favorites and almost always in bloom.Just look at those marvelous blooms you have!!

One of my favorites of all time! Mine died last fall. I had a couple of babies and the mama plant and they all went bye bye with quite a few others ... some pest or something I guess.

Evergrace is the prettiest of all but at one time I thought it would be neat to have the entire "Ever" series:

http://www.optimara.info/everfloris.htm

Forgive me never knowing names......if I knew these I will tell you.......just took some new closeup pics of plants in bloom.

Lin, I went back and read your post and I agree about the Ever floris series. I want all of them. Maybe we can all find leaves this summer.

I have this marked Crinkle Blue but I don't think that is right.

I don't know the name

This is Midnight Plum by Lyons

Rob's Antique Rose is a semi mini

Mermaid's Kiss standard